Yangon – Myanmar’s junta declared a new post-earthquake truce on May 6, days after the expiry of a previous humanitarian ceasefire it was accused of violating with a continued campaign of air strikes. The March 28 7.7-magnitude quake near the central city of Mandalay killed nearly 3,800 and has left tens of thousands homeless as the summer monsoon season approaches. Monitors say junta aerial bombardments breached the first truce in April – with the Britain-based Centre for Information Resilience logging 65 strikes, many in quake-hit regions. A statement from the junta information team on May 6 said the new armistice…
Author: Asia News Network
ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan military has brought down three Indian jets in retaliation for late-night strikes by its neighbouring country launched after midnight at the sites of Kotli, Bahawalpur, Muridke, Bagh and Muzaffarabad, state media reported. The military confrontation between Pakistan and India began roughly around 1am on Wednesday with the Indian air strikes when the neighbouring country launched “Operation Sindoor”. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed the downing of two Indian jets around 2:45am with a third confirmed around 3:42am. The military spokesperson provided an updated damage assessment of the scenario around 4am. Tarar said that the response was ongoing…
Governor Chadchart expects search for 14 still missing in SAO building collapse to finish in 4 days as crews reach basement level of wreckage. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt expressed confidence on Monday that the ongoing search operation for 14 missing workers following the State Audit Office (SAO) building collapse will be completed within four days. Wreckage Nearly Cleared but 14 Still Missing Chadchart admitted he was concerned that, despite most areas of the collapsed site having already been searched, 14 individuals remained unaccounted for. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), under his supervision, has been leading the effort to search through…
NEW DELHI – Amid escalating tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Home Secretary Govind Mohan, raising speculation about India’s counter-offensive plans. Earlier in the day, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh also met the Prime Minister. These meetings assume significance as they follow closely on the heels of discussions PM Modi held with Indian Air Force Chief Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh on Sunday and Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on Saturday. This series of high-level consultations is seen as critical amid growing conjecture…
BEIJING – President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia from Wednesday to Saturday and attend celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday. In Moscow, Xi will have strategic communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin on China-Russia relations under new circumstances and on a series of major international and regional issues. “We believe the important common understandings between the two presidents will further deepen political mutual trust between the two countries, add new substance to strategic coordination, and promote practical cooperation in various fields,” a ministry…
Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai confirmed on Sunday that the withdrawal of Thai troops from Prasat Ta Muen Thom will not result in Thailand losing any of its territory. His statement follows an incident in February, when Cambodian troops crossed into the Prasat Ta Muen Thom area in Phanom Dong Rak district of Surin province, sang their national anthem, and challenged Thai forces. Thai and Cambodian troops reconciled on April 30. Responding to concerns raised by academics that the troop withdrawal could lead to territorial loss, Phumtham stated that the Thailand-Cambodia General Border Committee (GBC) meeting, held from April 30 to…
DHAKA – Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain today said the prospect of Rohingya repatriation remains grim due to Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, fragmented authority, and the continued absence of security and citizenship guarantees for the displaced population. “We have not yet found a viable solution to this crisis, despite it burdening us for a very long time.” The adviser made these remarks while addressing a seminar titled “Repatriation of Rohingya in Bangladesh: Strategic Implications on Regional Security and Ways Ahead,” jointly organised by the Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) and the Armed Forces Division. He highlighted that the 2017…
SINGAPORE – Singaporeans have returned the PAP to power with 65.57 per cent of the popular vote, a commanding swing from its 61.24 per cent share in the last general election. Voters overwhelmingly endorsed the ruling party, which secured 87 of 97 seats in an election that took place against a backdrop of global uncertainty and trade wars. They gave Prime Minister Lawrence Wong the clear mandate that he had sought, in his first electoral contest as head of government and leader of the PAP. Constituencies tipped to be fierce battlegrounds – Punggol GRC, Tampines GRC and Jalan Kayu SMC…
Nationalist groups rallied in front of a Bangkok hotel on Thursday as the defence ministers of Thailand and Cambodia held a General Border Committee (GBC) meeting, expressing concern that Thailand might be at a disadvantage in discussions over overlapping territory. Protesters Fear Concessions to Cambodia The demonstrators, led by the Students and People’s Network for Thailand Reform (SPNTR), the Dharma Army, and the People’s Centre for Protection of the Monarchy, claimed they feared Thai Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai would make territorial concessions to Cambodia during the talks. A protest leader, Anon Klinkaew, stated that the group had come to deliver…
HO CHI MINH – At exactly 9pm on Wednesday, brilliant fireworks lit up the skyline of HCM City, greeted by cheers and applause from thousands of residents. The city hosted high-altitude firework displays at two locations: the Sài Gòn River Tunnel area in Thủ Đức City and Bến Được Temple in Củ Chi District. For fifteen minutes, the skies sparkled with an awe-inspiring showcase of pyrotechnics. The event formed part of a wider programme of cultural and sporting activities celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 – April 30, 2025). Excited…